The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-24
EDITORIAL Briets.
BY REV. I. N. ATWOOD, D. D.
Canton, N. Y.

| son, OF Providence, could be given than
he furnished in remark made to us some
years since: 81 believe Uo1versalism is
not only theory Of religion, but re-
hgion. The UDiversslist theory is the
best know; but the Universalist religion
is better" Long acquaintance with Mr..
johnson left on us the impression that
his remark was not born of happy
thought, nor Of momentary religious
transport; but that it sprapg from convic-
tions verified in experience. He lived his
religion because he loved it; he loved it
because he bad lived it.
"A Congregational pastor Of expert
ence expresses his mind on delicate SUBJ
| ject thus: 81 believe we cannot expect
the finest wheat -four when only Indian
corn is put into the hopper of our theo-
logical schools" The metaphor is we'll
chosen and the truth it conveys pertinent.
The range Of mans powers, the quality
and grain of his nature, the amount of
elemental force in him, are not affected
| by training. All the school can do is to
make the best OF the kind of man sent it.
1t cannot make men. Some pastors, there
is reason to fear, make the mistake of se-
lecting men who can be readily persuad-
ed rather than the men who are most
needed.
Some juxtapositions of fact are very
startling. In one year, for example, the
drinkers Of the United States pay nine
hundred million dollars for liquors. In
the same time all the contributions of all
the churches for MISSIONS home and for
eign, are five and half millions about
1-180 as much. As DR.. Josiah Strong
dryly remarks, "Any one that did not
know better might naturally infer that
the one class loves beer and whisky bet
ter than the other loves souls" .
We do not perceive that our Unita-
rian contemporary of Chicago, Unity,
was at all extended by swallowing down
as it did at one gulp, the Neao THEOLOGY
Herald. Rather, Unity appears slightly
more lank and consumptive than before.
Perhaps the Herald brought nothing
| lAOIO AupIlblOu5 Will budu kOUu WILL
There is little to encourage ventures in
journalism in the iberality of liberals.
If they had half the faith in the value of
their views that their frequent eulogy OF
jsEhem would imply. their papers N0ula
not SO uniformly struggle through pro
longed infancy only to meet an early
death.
DIR. Charming wrote: "By liberal
Christians, understand one who is dis
posed to receive as his brethren in Christ
all who, in the Judgment of charity, sim
cerely profess to receive Jesus Christ as
their Lord and Master. He repels all
of Christian character but the words of
Jesus Christ and his inspired apostles.
He thinks it an act Of disloyalty to his
Master to introduce into the church,
creeds of fallible men, as bonds of union,
or terms OF Christian fellowship"
is it probable that if DR.. Charming
were now living, with the experience of
the Unitarian body to guide his judg
ment, he would be of the same opinion?
As to the first sentence of this descrip-
ton, no really liberal Christian would
wish it changed. But is it more liberal
to repel all tests of Christian faith and
Christian character not formulated in the
exact words OF Jesus or of an apostle, than
to allow tests which are framed to express
what some church considers the intent of
his words? And does it not SAVIOR of mar.
row spirit of liberalism to insist that all
bonds of union framed by fallible men
involve disloyalty to Christ? The test of
bond of union is not in the phrases of
which it is composed, but in its power to
hold souls together. We can imagine a
poor bond with no words in it but those of
Jesus; and good bond which has not
one of his words in it. Let us not wor-
J ship the letter.
1T is said, and we presume it is true,
that the gabble of half dozen very wild
women and men on the subject OF the au-
thorship of the plays of Shakespeare, pro-
duces not the slightest commotion in the
brain of any Shakespearian scholar on
either side of the water. Mr.. G.. p. La
throp published clever satire on the
Bacon cipher theory little time ago; bat
beyond an occasional smile, the real
Shakespeare scholars contribute nothing
to the craze.
There was very strong flavor Of
truth in Judge Cowing's remark on occa-
sion of passing sentence on the Anarchist
Most. The Judge remarked that in his
experience most of the attempts to break
law and resist government come from
foreigners Men who could not speak our
language, men who were not citizens,
men who had not been in the country
five years were found associated for
the purpose OF iDjuring their peaceful
neighbors and resisting the authority of
the State. He advised Most and his
eontreres to spend little Of their too
abundant leisure In studying our in
stitutions, discerning their benefcence,
and in recognizing their debt OF graft
tude to the land and people that gave
them shelter.
GRAND temples are made of small stones,